No silly, that’s just light pollution. Light pollution arises from there being too much artificial light and as a result the night sky and its many features like stars are concealed from us.

According to Longcore & Rich 2004, this phenomenon is “broad-scale”, there being thousands of light sources emitting light and thus illuminating the night sky.

CONSEQUENCES (Chepesiuk 2009)

on circadian rhythm + melatonin production –

We humans rely on the absence of light to produce melatonin and enable us to sleep, so when there is excessive light, photons are exposed to our retinas. This then disrupts melatonin production and our circadian rhythm. This could be the reason why we sometimes get up in the middle of the night – there is usually some kind of electric lighting entering our windows and shining on our faces, unless we have blackout curtains to prevent this.

on discovery –

Imagine living in a country that has full view of some part of the Milky Way but that view is obscured by artificial light. Wouldn’t that just be a bummer? This is the case for two-thirds of the US population and more than half of the European population who have lost the ability to see the Milky Way in all its grandeur with the naked eye. So then, what happens what they do get to enjoy the view? In 1994, Los Angeles suffered a power outage just before dawn. Afterwards, many reported seeing a mysterious glow cloud in the sky that struck fear into their hearts. What was this cloud you might ask? It was a band of the Milky Way. Our beautiful home galaxy was so foreign and unseen because of the presence of artificial light that it scared them (National Geographic 2019). Our children should not be growing up without having seen the Milky Way for themselves, since they have the chance to.

on animals –

While this course is primarily focused on the anthropogenic consequences of pollution, I thought it necessary to mention how pollution affects animals. We are all on the same planet, and any change in a single ecosystem could affect us in myriad ways. In New York City for example, around 10,000 migratory birds die each year from smashing into high-rise buildings as they fly. The presence of artificial light confuses and disorients them, causing them to be distracted and thus lose focus mid-flight. The bodies of these birds leave prints on buildings, and could even become killer litter as they fall from up above onto the street below. Additionally, some animals are momentarily blinded when there is too much light. Frogs for instance suffer from reduced visual capability and their recovery period ranges from a half hour to many hours. You could see how they would become easy pickings for any opportunistic predator. Sure, the loss of a few frogs may not present any considerable problems to humans as a whole, but perhaps for those of us without a cold, cold heart, we would feel sad. They didn’t do anything wrong, and yet our need for light has caused them suffering.

WHAT CAN WE DO?

Overall, it would be impossible to reduce the production of more light sources. What we can do however is to be less wasteful. Having motion sensors to turn lights on is a great way to prevent the waste of electricity and to also reduce light pollution. Initiatives like Earth Hour is another excellent idea. For just an hour, people with the benefit of seeing the Milky Way can enjoy a feast for the eyes. Lights should also be turned off whenever they are not in use. And, to protect our circadian rhythms, blackout curtains could be installed for better sleep and rest.

References
CHEPESIUK, R. 2009. Missing the Dark: Health Effects of Light Pollution. Environmental Health Perspectives, 117, A20-A27.

DRAKE, N. 2019. Our nights are getting brighter, and Earth is paying the price. National Geographic. Online.

LONGCORE, T. & RICH, C. 2004. Ecological Light Pollution. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 2, 191-198.

-Xelyn